Ditching and grading machine



March 1, 1932.

C B KELLER DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 N VEN TOR. Cfiauflceyfi. KEV/6r B Y I I v A TTORN E Y.

March 1, 1932; c. B.-KELLER 1,347,432

DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 NVENTOR. C'Aauzzcgy 5. Ae/A'er March 1, 1932. c. B. KELLER DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.

March 1, 1932. c. B. KELLER 1,847,432

DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed March 25, i930 5 SheetsSheet 5 F{y.8.

/oz /02"' M10 lllllllillIllllllllllllllllI 1N VEN TOR.

6200226 95. Kev/er gmw A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 i 1,847,432

UETED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAUNCEY IB. KELLER, or KIMBALL, NEBRASKA nrrrcnmc AND GRADING- MACHINE Application filed March 25, 1930; Serial No. 438,723.

This invention relates to ditching and heels without altering the inclination of the grading machines and has for one of its obconveyor. jects to provide a novel and a comparatively The invention has for a still further object simple machine of this character which shall to provide machine or" the character stated be self-propelled and especially adapted to be which shall embody means arranged at the v3;; used in rural communities, through the meouter or discharge end of the conveyor and dium of Which ditches may be dug and roads adapted to distribute the excavated dirt over graded Within a comparatively short time, the road, the means being adjustable to perand which shall be adapted to be controlled at mit the excavated dirt to be distributed over 19 the expenditure of comparatively little manany selected portions of the road, said means ual labor. being also adapted to be employed for the he invention has for a further object to purpose of delivering the excavated dirt into provide a machine of the character stated dump Wagons or cars. which shall be adapted to be operated close With the foregoing and other objects in to a bank and on level and on even surfaces VieW,the nature of which will appearas the and which shall be adapted to distribute the d ription proceeds, the invention consists di t excavated th b th d i d p in the construction, combination and arrangetion of the road being rad d r i td m merit of parts hereinafter fully described and Wagons or cars so that it may be carried away h h and illustrated in the accempany' ,1 139 fr m th d a ing drawings, wherein t (Y The invention has for a further object to g r 1 s a View n Side elevatiOfl Of the provide a machine of the character stated hillg and grading machine; which siiall embody a main frame supported gure 2 1S seet o l Vl W take 0 t e at three points from the road by means in- *"Q Plane Indicated by't 11116 0f eluding a chain tread tractor unit and Wheels. t-l 1 Th i e ti h f a f th t t Figur 3 is a top plan view of the machine; provide a machine of the character stated g- 4 i h" P y in Teal elelatloh wherein one of the Wheels shall be arranged P -rtly in vertical section of the rotary in advance of the tractor unit and the other Grim-refine Wheel 0 the lhdchihe and the laterally beyond and in a plane extending means for supporting and operating the 30 between the tractor unit and the front Wheel. 4

The invention has for a further object to g 5 f shhtlohhl new h on the provide a machine of the character stated h Plane hhhchted y the hhe of wherein the main frame shall be pivotally h 5 connected to the tractor unit and so connecti t-Y 6 13 h s?ct1)nal V 19W takeh Oh the .d to the Wheels as to permit it to be adjust l l 5 unheated y h 66 ed with respect to said parts to effect the figh 9,1 levellin thereof when movin 'over irre ut anew I slde elevation of one b v a" "'the GXCSNEKUH" Wheel su q lar surfaces and to re ulate the efi'ective cutthe b a 1. J. porting shaft,

0 t 7 0' 1 v k li'g t g 3 t t Figure 8 is a view partlv in top plan and '7. s 1w 1x v i A 3 811M011. a 0 O partly in horizontal section of the conveyor provide a machine of the character stated i the main frame adjusting means; it w 1 L!./' (J. l illCh shad emloodyanencless ionvieyoli which plgum 9 1S a semmmd taken on the d upwardly and ijeyonfl vertical plane indicated by the line 99 of one side of the machine and on to which the Figure p 7 rotary eXC/hmtmg Wheel shall dehl'er the Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on the cavated dirt, and which shall embody means ertical l ne indicated by the line 1010 of vthrough the medium of which the main frame re 9, and r 0 may be adJusted upon the tractor unit and Figure 11 is a sectional vlew taken on the Cit prises a main frame 1 which is supported at its rear end by a tread tractor unit 2, and at its front end by a wheel. 3 and at one side by a wheel 4. The tractor unit 2may be of any well known or appropriate construction, and the main frame 1 is pivotally connected thereto, as as 5. The main frame 1 is pro vided at its front end with a vertical sleeve 6 which rests upon a yoke 7 and rotatably and slidably receives a spindle 8. The front wheel 3 is journaled in the yoke 7, and the spindle 8 is secured to and extends upwardly from the yoke. The side wheel 1 is journaled in a yoke 9, and secured to and extending upwardly from this yoke is an open frame 10 which is connected to the main frame 1 by bars 11, the bars being pivoted, as at to the main frame and as at 13 to the wheel frame. The wheel 1- is located at the inner side of the main frame 1 between the front Wheel 3 and tractor unit 2, and these parts, together with the front wheel 3, provide a three point support for the main frame.

An internal combustion motor 14, and seat 15 are mounted upon the main frame above the tractor unit 2. The motor let may be of any Well known or appropriate con- .struction, and drives a main shaft 16 which is arranged at the outer side of and extends longitudinally of the main frame 1. Any suitable means, not shown, may be employed for establishing an operative connection between the motor 14; and drive shaft 16.

The drive shaft 16 is ournaled in bearings 17 on the main frame 1, and secured to the 'rear end thereof is a worm wheel 18 which meshes with a worm 19 on a shaft 20. This shaft extends transversely of the main frame 1 and is journaled in bearings 21. The trac tor unit 2 includes a drive shaft 22 which is driven from the shaft 20 by a sprocket chain 23 which passes over asprocket wheel 24 on the shaft 20 and a smaller sproc ct wheel 25 on the pivot '5, and by a sprocket chain 26 which passes over a sprocket wheel 27 on the pivot and larger than the sprocket wheel 25 and over a sprocket wheel 28 on the shaft 22 and larger than the sprocket wheel 27.

The main frame 1 is adapted to be rocked upon its pivot 5 to effect the raising or lowering of its front end, so as to vary the effective cutting depth of the rotary excavating wheel 29 on the machine, by means which includes a rack 30 formed on the rear side of the spindle 8, and a pinion 31 fixed to a shaft 32 and meshing with the rack. The shaft 32 extends from the sleeve 6 to a point beyond the inner side of the main frame 1, is journaled in bearings This shaftis adapted tobe d 'iven fro-m the main shaft 16 by a shaft 31 which extends from the main shaft to a point beyond the inner side Ofthe main w ieel 1-1 fixed to the shaft 32.

frame 1, and by a shaft 35 which extends longitudinally of the main frame and is located at the inner side thereof. The shaft 31- is ournaled in bearings 36 and is connected to the main shaft 16 by beveled gears 37. The shaft- 35 is journaled in bearings 38 and has splined thereto a sleeve 39.

A beveled gear 10 is fixed to the rear end of the sleeve 39, and a beveled gear 11 is fixed to the front end thereof. Any suitable means, not shown, may be provided for shifting the sleeve 39 on the shaft 35 so as to move one or the other of the gears a0 and 11 into engageient with a beveled gear a2 fixed to the shaft 34, and said means may no employed to main taii both of the gears 4-0 and ll out of e11- gagement with the gear 12. The shaft 35 is connected to the shaft 32 by a worm 13'fixed to the shaft 35 and meshing with a worm When one of the g and 411 is in engagement with the near 14, the pinion 31 is turned in a direction to lower the front end of the main frame 1, and when the other of the gears 40 and 41 is in eng geinent with the gear 1-2, the pinion 31 is turned in a. direction to raise the front end of the main frame 1. The main frame 1 is maintained in its adjusted position by the on ement between the rack 30, pinion 31, we 13, and worm geared.

Means are provided for turning the front wheel 3 about the axis of the spindle 8 so as to effect tl e steering of the machine. This means comprise a shaf 5 which extends longituoinally of the m-' n frame 1 and is journaled in bearings 46, a hand wheel 17 fixed to the rear end of the shaftand a worm -18 .fixed to the front end of the shaft and meshing with a worm wheel 49 on the spindle 8. The worm wheel -19 is curnaled upon the main frame 1, a 50, and it is connected to the spindle 8 by a rib 51, the rib being carried by the spindle and slidably engaged with the worm wheel in order to establish a driving connection between the worm wheel and spindle in order to permit the worm v: ieel to move with the main frame during the adjustment of the latter.

The di wheel 2 extends transversely of the main frame 1, and is located thereon between the tractor unit and the front wheel 3 and it is also located forwardly of the side wheel at. The excavating wheel 29 rotatably supported upon the frame 1 by a shaft 52 which pas. es through the hub 53 of the dig ng wheel through bearings 5-1 on The digging wheel 29 is 52, and the shaft is fixed 'earings by crews 55. The digging 29 includes .n annular rack 56 conrically related to the shaft 52, a pinion lixedto the main shaft 16 and meshing with the rack 56, establishes a direct driving connection between the main shaft and the and reel 5 68 which extendradially ii-nward i'from'ithe ass 1 rear ends ofzthe outer walls. :iFherscoops or buckets 58 are provided attheifrontiedges:of their front side Walls-=60 Withzground cutting-lips 6i. 7 I

The scoops or buckets 5:8 are fully-open at their innersideswso :as'to discharge-the dirt excavated thereby into an inclined 'chutei65 which-is 'fiXed,:-as atx66, -;to :the main vframe 1. i rsemi-circularplate 67, which-is securech as at 68, to the mainrf r-ame '1 extends from the lowermost scoopor bucket 58- tov tI'.PGlIlti-2IbOVG \the :chute 65,'so as toprevent'thescoopsor buckets from discharging their :loads until 'directly above the chute.

The chute discharges on itoan endless .conveyor belt 69 which extends transversely ofthe main frame '1 ffromsa point outwardly -l eyondthe lower end of the chute-to :a point "laterally beyond-the inuerside of themain frame. The-.belt-G-E) zpasses :about :an 'inner roller '70 and :an outer roller :71, and :the rollers are carried :by 1 shafts 72' and 7 3, re- :spectively, which are journaledin :the ends of side bars 74. The shaft 72 is operatively -connected with-the driveshaftslfiby means of reduction gears 72 and .16. the, gear TZbeinq mounted "on the shaft IQ-and .the gear .216" being imounted on theshaft 16 andameshing with the gear 72. The :side bars '14 are pivoted at their inner-ends, through} the medium of the shaft 72, in bearings 75 fixed upon themain frame 1. The bars .7 ixcarry rollers 76 upon Which-theupper:run'of the belt 69 rests, and they also carry; .a: roller 77 upon Whi chstheilower-rrun of thezbelt rests.

:The belt 6'9:extendsman-upwardly andinwardly inclined position f'from' the :main frame i1. and it is-supportfed imthis position by cables 78Which-are'wound about drums 79 and'seoured, as at':80,:toitheahars il. The drums 9 are :fixedttoxa shaftfilwhich ttis ournale d fin' bearings'821- on the np'per end of the caster wheeliitrameilO. Thebarsw'l' lrpass "througlrthe frame 310, and frareaconnectedto the "vertical members "of the frame .:by slides'83. I

A 'shat'tf84i is Ournaled i-n' a bearingisecured, as at86; to.thexinainrfra me1,1:and itais -j ournal-ecbv in a bearing-87 fixed 'toit-h eupper lend 10f it ie frame 110. The shaftr .is con,-

..I1ected1at its outer-end to the Shafth8llrby a avorm 88 ifixe d to :the. shaft and 'me'shing' withaworm gear89ifixed to the shaft 81. "The shaft' '84 is provided iat its :inner end avithia; :hand' wheel; 90itoenableit to bezrea-dily. turned in-' .one direction to reflect L an increase .in'the anf le o f'thebelt'69with respect tOit-ll'Bi'llOli- :zont-al or .in. the oppositev direction it ielfectia decrease in the angle of the belt.

The "conveyor belt' 69 discharges into a distributor'i91 Which is arranged below the outer :or .upper' .end thereof and :is supported .from the'bar 74 by bracket arms 92. Thedistributor 91 extends rearwardly and downwardly from the upperend of the belt 69 andincreases in :Width in the 1 direction :of its rea'r end. The distributor 91'eomprisesxa- -bottom Wall 93, sidewalls 94:,and is fully open at its upper side. Partitions95arearranged within and eXt-endlong'itudinally ofthe :distrib- -utor 91 The partitions 95 are pivoted at their :rear ends, as at 96, to-the bottom wall 93 of thedistributor 91 so as to -permit them'ito be adjusted toward :and :away from each other and toward; and away from i the side walls 94 of the distributor, and thus enable the excavated dirt to be distributed over selected portions of the road. If theexcayateddirt is not tobe distributed over'tlie roadfihe distributor 91 may be used to-evenly-distribute the dirt over the bottom of-a 'truclg car or the like. The bottom Wall 93= 'of tlie distributor 9 1 is provided near its rear end- WltlL'OPBllings '97 in which are arranged pins 98 employed {for the a purpose of securing the par- "titi ons '95 in their adjusted positions.

As the bars 11 are pivotally connectedto the main frame 1 andto the frame 10, "the main frame is -supported 'by the i hel 4 Tor adjustment about the longitudinal axis "(ifthe machine. The main frame 1 is adapted 'to be adjusted in this manner "Without altering? the "inclination of the conveyor belt 6-9, by amearns which comprises'vertical Ta-k bars'99 which .are'pi'voted'at'their lower ends, as at 10U,' to the mainframe-1. The'rackbars99 and tlreir pivots 100 are located inwardly ofthepivot 72"ol*the b'ars'74, and a shaft 101, Which-extends transversely of and is jourmiled in 'thesebars,"isproi ide d iat its en tls Withpinions 102 which mesh witlrthe-rack bars A shaft 103, which extends transversely idftlle main frame and is ournaled in'ai'bea-ringlM,

isprovided'at its inner-end'with a" hand'wheel "10.5 andrat itsouter end'with a;Worm.106,"the

Worm" meshing witha wormwhel 107 on the shaft 101. As tllGbZl'ISTl are pivote dto'the main frame 1 and suspended from-thewheel framel0, and as the shaft lOl isfjournaledin the bars, the rotation of "the shaft through i the medium o'f the'handw heel l05 Will cause the rackbars' 99 to move downwardly or up- :War'clly depending upon the direction of the rotation of *t-he shaft. This movement of 5 the rack.ha rs;.99i.will turn .thezmain frameil with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine, with the result that the main frame will be levelled and supported in such posi tion by the tractor unit 2 and the wheels 3 and4. The upper and lower runs of the conveyor belt 69 are supported immediately above and below the shaft 100 and 101 by rollers 108 which are supported from the bars It should be understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the excavating wheel 29 will be rotated during the forward movement of the machine, that the dirt from the scoop or buckets 58 of the excavating 2 and'the wheels 3 and 4 to regulate the effective cutting depth of the scoops or buckets 58 and to effect the levelling ofjthe main frame, andthat this may be done without altering the inclination of the conveyor belt 95. It should still further be understood that the machine is simple and easily controlled and adjusted at the expenditure of comparatively littlemanual effort.

While I have described the principle of the invention, together withvthe structure which I now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim V 1. A ditching and grading machine, comprising a main frame, front and rear supports for the frame, a side support, a conveyor connected to the frame and extending laterally and upwardly therefrom to a point beyondthe side support, means supporting the conveyor from the side support, adjusting means connected to the frame and conveyor, an excavating wheel ournaled on the frame and discharging on to the conveyor, and means for operating the conveyor and excavating wheel. 7 V 2. A ditching and grading machine, comprising a main frame, a tractor unit, means pivotally supporting the rear end of the frame from the tractor unit, a front wheel, means connecting the front end of the frame to the front wheel for vertical adjustment with respect thereto, means carried by the frame and cooperating with said means and operable to permit said adjustment of the frame, a side support, a conveyor connected to the frame and extending laterally and up wardly therefrom to a point beyond the side support, means supporting the conveyor from the side support, adjusting means connected to the frame and conveyor, an excavating wheel journaled on the frame and discharging on to the conveyor, and means for operating the tractor unit, conveyor and excavating wheel,

3. A ditching and grading machine, comprising a main frame, a tractor unit, a front wheel, means connecting the frame to the tractor unit and wheel to permit it to be adjusted with respect thereto, means for adjusting the frame, a side support, a conveyor connected to the frame and extending laterally and upwardly therefrom to a point beyond the side support, means supporting the conveyor from the side support, adjusting means connected to the frame and conveyor,

an excavating wheel journaled on the frame and discharging into the conveyor, and means for operating the tractor unit, conveyor and excavating wheel.

4. A ditching and grading machine, comprising a main frame, a tractor unit, a front wheel, means connecting the frame to the tractor unit and wheel to permit it to be adjusted with respect thereto and to permit the wheel to be turned, means for adjusting the frame, means for turning the front wheel,

a side support, a conveyor connected to the' frame and'extending laterally and upwardly therefrom to a point beyond the side support, means supporting the conveyor from the side support, adjusting means connected to the frame and conveyor, an excavating wheel j ournaled on the frame and discharging on to the conveyor, and means for operating the tractor unit, conveyor and excavating wheel. 1

5. A ditching and grading machine, comprising a main frame, a propelling unit, a front wheel, means connecting the frame to the propelling unit and wheel to permit it to be adjusted with respect thereto, means for adjusting the frame, a side wheel, a vertical frame mounted on the side wheel, a conveyor pivoted at one end to the main frame and extending laterally and upwardly therefrom and through said second frame, means adjustably supporting the conveyor from said second frame, adjusting means connected to the main frame and conveyor, an excavating wheel journaled on the .main frame and discharging on to the con veyor, and means for operating the propellmg unit, conveyor and excavating wheel.

6. A ditching andgradingmachine, comprising a main frame, front and rear suppo'rts for the frame, a side wheel, a vertical frame mounted on the side wheel, aconveyor pivoted to the main frame and extending laterally and upwardly therefrom and through said second frame, means slidably connecting the conveyor to said second frame, means supporting the conveyor from said second frame and adjustable to permit the inclination of the conveyor to be varied, means for adjusting said last means, adjusting means connected to the main frame and conveyor, an excavat ing Wheel journaled on the main frame and discharging on to the conveyor and means for operating the conveyor and excavating Wheel. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHAUNOEY B. KELLER. 

